Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Public Learns How GlobalPittsburgh Connects Region with Visiting Delegations at 2012 Annual Dinner

Members, supporters and friends of GlobalPittsburgh gathered on Monday, Dec. 17, 2012 for the GlobalPittsburgh Annual Dinner to learn why the eyes of the world are focused on the Pittsburgh region as a global center for energy innovation, education, technology, environmental research and business.

Through an interactive program we called Your Passport to Pittsburgh - Making the Western Pennsylvania Connection, they experienced first-hand the many benefits GlobalPittsburgh provides to the regional community and economy, while having fun, networking with friends old and new, eating delicious food, enjoying a stunning view of the Pittsburgh skyline, getting their pictures taken in a free photo booth sponsored by Westinghouse Electric, and entering a drawing for an iPad Mini sponsored by UPMC.

They met and learned from the valuable resources in the Pittsburgh region, just as our delegations of global leaders do when they come here as part of the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program and other similar programs that bring emerging leaders to the United States.

Upon arrival, they received a GlobalPittsburgh Passport similar to the itinerary we prepare for our visiting delegations. They strolled around the room and engaged with many of the same leaders from the region who have met with international visitors in the past year, including ExperiLearn, the National Energy Technology Center, the Center for Women's Entrepreneurship at Chatham University, Innovation Works and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

They ate some of the best food in town from gourmet serving stations, saw old friends and made new ones, conversed with some of the top experts in fields including energy, engineering, sustainability and higher education, and enjoyed a cultural performance by the guitar duo of Ferla-Marcinizyn.

Bill Flanagan of the Allegheny Conference was our local “tour guide” as emcee for the evening. At the end of the evening, we gave away an iPad Mini to one lucky guest.

Just like our visiting delegations, guests also had a chance to interact with some of the host families who regularly welcome visitors into their homes.

View more photos of the event at http://bit.ly/U6KvU8.
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Monday, December 17, 2012

International Education Advisers Spend Week in Pittsburgh Learning About Sending Students to United States and Local Institutions

A group of 21 international education advisers from the U.S. State Department's worldwide network of 450 EducationUSA advising centers recently spent a week in Pittsburgh to learn about sending students to the United States, hosted by GlobalPittsburgh.

The advisers were participating in a week-long training institute titled Essentials of Advising (Level 1), which was conducted Dec. 9-15 on the campuses of institutions participating in the Study Pittsburgh initiative of the GlobalPittsburgh Education Partnership (GPEP).

Advisers came from Austria, Bangladesh, Brazil, China (2), India (2), Indonesia (2), Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Mauritius, Pakistan, Paraguay, Romania, Russia, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

Trainees learned about the American system of higher education, including the admissions process for undergraduate and graduate students, tuition and financial aid, and campus life. They also visited several campuses, met with faculty and administrators, and engaged in a university fair to learn more about local institutions.

“This was a great opportunity for local universities and for the Pittsburgh region, and we already have been told that more students from these advising centers will be considering Pittsburgh in their education plans,” said Thomas Buell, Jr., Director of the Study Pittsburgh initiative and Director of Marketing for GlobalPittsburgh.

The advisers will be promoting educational opportunities in the United States to international students around the world, and any positive connections they make in Pittsburgh will have a long-lasting positive impact on the number of students who choose to come to study in this region, he said.

"We know from studies that international students create an economic boost, and if each one of these advisers sends just one student to Pittsburgh over the next year, that would have a greater than $500,000 impact on the region through tuition, fees and living expenses," Buell said, citing reports from the Institute of International Education.

Several of the advisers indicated that they will be adding Pittsburgh colleges and universities to their list of recommended education destinations in the United States.

"I have already been speaking about Pittsburgh to student advisees and I sincerely hope that this transpires into admissions," said Zafeena Suresh, EducationUSA adviser in New Delhi, India, after she returned home. "I look forward to a long and fruitful association with GlobalPittsburgh."

Marta Garcia, EducationUSA adviser in Caracas, Venezuela, called the program the "perfect combination for a very informative and assertive training experience. Pittsburgh is a formidable discovery both culturally and academically! [We] will be keeping in close touch."

Reving Mizory, EducationUSA adviser in Erbil, capital city of the Kurdish Regional Government in Iraq, said the training institute will expand his ability to serve students in his advising center.

"It was a very significant trip for me because it was my first visit to the U.S.," Mizory said. "I got to see the university campuses and what it is to be an international student at a U.S. university. It will help me a lot when I go back home and talk about this experience to our prospective students. It is different when you talk about it and you hear it from someone, and when you experience it yourself. I talked to the American students and I talked to the international students here. It was a very rich experience. It will help me a lot."

Formed in 2010, the GlobalPittsburgh Education Partnership is a growing consortium of colleges, universities and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs in the Greater Pittsburgh Region that have joined together to explore ways to increase international student enrollment in the region, to create partnerships and exchange programs with their counterparts abroad, and to engage students in the community once they arrive.

Current members of the GPEP include:
• Art Institute of Pittsburgh
• Carlow University
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Chatham University *
• Community College of Allegheny County *
• Duquesne University *
• LaRoche College
• Penn State – Beaver
• Penn State – Greater Allegheny *
• Penn State – New Kensington
• Point Park University *
• Robert Morris University *
• The University of Pittsburgh
• The University of Pittsburgh English Language Institute
• The University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business
• The University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing
• Washington & Jefferson College
• West Virginia University
• West Liberty University

(Asterisk indicates campus that hosted training sessions or events)

In economic terms, international students make a significant positive impact in the region, contributing an estimated $2.6 million to the regional economy for every 100 international students enrolled at regional colleges and universities, or $250 million in tuition and living expenses to the Pittsburgh-area economy, according to the IIE. More than 9,800 international students are enrolled in the Greater Pittsburgh region, the IIE reported.

GlobalPittsburgh, formerly the Pittsburgh Council for International Visitors, is a non-profit organization that engages international delegations, groups and individuals by creating itineraries and facilitating introductions through the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) and other international programming agencies in many fields, including energy and environment, life sciences and medicine, education, business and technology, clean/green design, advanced manufacturing, arts and culture, government and finance, social services and law, and other areas.

For information about GlobalPittsburgh's Study Pittsburgh initiative, go to www.studypittsburgh.org
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Monday, December 3, 2012

Pitt Med School, Carnegie Mellon and Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center Share $9.3 Million Grant to Establish Biomedical Technology Research Center

The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC) have been awarded a five-year, $9.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish a Biomedical Technology Research Center (BTRC) to develop computational tools for modeling and simulating biological systems from the tissue level down to the molecular level.

By filling in the missing pieces between modeling efforts at disparate scales of structural biology, cell modeling and large-scale image analysis, this new collaborative initiative seeks to identify the molecular and cellular mechanisms that control neurotransmission and signaling events, which in turn could lead to the development of novel treatments for nervous system disorders.

"With these tools, our goal is to better understand and appreciate the impact of defective proteins and interactions at the cellular level, and their effects on the central nervous system behavior," said Ivet Bahar, Ph.D., professor and John K. Vries Chair of the Department of Computational and Systems Biology at the Pitt School of Medicine. "We hope to bridge the gaps between molecular-, cellular- and tissue-level information to build integrated models of cell signaling and regulation."

Bahar is the principal investigator for the award, titled “High Performance Computing for Multi-scale Modeling of Biological Systems,” from the NIH’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Robert F. Murphy, Ph.D., director of the Lane Center for Computational Biology in Carnegie Mellon’s School of Computer Science, will lead CMU’s participation.

The Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center’s long-established National Resource for Biomedical Supercomputing (NRBSC), headed by Markus Dittrich, Ph.D., was seminal to and is the third major partner in the new BTRC. The collaboration also includes the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif.

"We have imagined this new center as a Pittsburgh center, joining the two universities, the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon, with PSC strengths in training and biomedical supercomputing,” said Dr. Murphy, the Ray and Stephanie Lane Professor of Computational Biology and professor of biological sciences, biomedical engineering and machine learning.

"We now have an opportunity to combine that work with work in the Lane Center on image-derived modeling of cellular organization and machine learning for structural biology to go beyond what we’ve done before," he said.

Dr. Dittrich said the collaboration opens many opportunities for his National Resource for Biomedical Supercomputing (NRBSC).

"As core members in the new BTRC we continue our work in cellular modeling, structural biology, and large-scale volumetric image analysis and welcome the synergy of working with the outstanding computational biology programs at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon,” he said.

As part of the NIH grant, a supplementary award of $1.1 million provides two years of additional support for the Anton supercomputer, which the NRBSC has made available to U.S. biomedical scientists since 2010.

Dr. Bahar’s team will tailor computational models for five biomedical research projects including neurotransmitter signaling, immune cell regulation and neuronal circuit reconstruction that are under way at Pitt, Caltech, Allen Brain Institute (Seattle), and UT Southwestern Medical Center.

"Until now, experimental scientists have been collecting data that are not testable by computational methods, while the computational scientists have been building models and making predictions that can’t be verified experimentally," Dr. Bahar said. "We aim to bridge this communication gap, too, so that we can solve relevant problems computationally while generating new hypotheses that can be tested in the lab."

As one of the nation’s leading academic centers for biomedical research, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine integrates advanced technology with basic science across a broad range of disciplines in a continuous quest to harness the power of new knowledge and improve the human condition. Driven mainly by the School of Medicine and its affiliates, Pitt has ranked among the top 10 recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health since 1997.

Likewise, the School of Medicine is equally committed to advancing the quality and strength of its medical and graduate education programs, for which it is recognized as an innovative leader, and to training highly skilled, compassionate clinicians and creative scientists well-equipped to engage in world-class research. The School of Medicine is the academic partner of UPMC, which has collaborated with the University to raise the standard of medical excellence in Pittsburgh and to position health care as a driving force behind the region’s economy. For more information about the School of Medicine, go to www.medschool.pitt.edu.

Carnegie Mellon (www.cmu.edu) is a private, internationally ranked research university with programs in areas ranging from science, technology and business, to public policy, the humanities and the arts. More than 11,000 students in the university’s seven schools and colleges benefit from a small student-to-faculty ratio and an education characterized by its focus on creating and implementing solutions for real problems, interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. A global university, Carnegie Mellon’s main campus in the United States is in Pittsburgh, Pa. It has campuses in California’s Silicon Valley and Qatar, and programs in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and Mexico.

The Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (www.psc.edu) is a joint effort of Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh together with Westinghouse Electric Company. Established in 1986, PSC is supported by several federal agencies, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and private industry, and is a partner in the National Science Foundation XSEDE program. The National Resource for Biomedical Supercomputing (NRBSC) was established in 1987. As part of PSC, the NRBSC focuses on computational biomedical research at the interface of supercomputing and the life sciences.


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GlobalPittsburgh Selected By U.S. State Department to Coordinate Weeklong Training Program in December for International Education Advisers

GlobalPittsburgh has been selected by the U.S. Department of State to host and coordinate a weeklong training program this month for 20 representatives from its worldwide network of 450 EducationUSA advising centers, which promote educational opportunities in the United States.

The program, titled Essentials of Advising (Level 1), will be conducted Dec. 9-15 on the campuses of institutions participating in the Study Pittsburgh initiative of the GlobalPittsburgh Education Partnership (GPEP).

Advisers will be coming from such countries as Austria, Bangladesh, Brazil, China (2), India (2), Indonesia (2), Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Mauritius, Pakistan, Paraguay, Romania, Russia, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

Formed in 2010, the GlobalPittsburgh Education Partnership is a growing consortium of 16 colleges, universities and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs in the Greater Pittsburgh Region that have joined together to explore ways to increase international student enrollment in the region, to create partnerships and exchange programs with their counterparts abroad, and to engage students in the community once they arrive.

Trainees will learn about the American system of higher education, including the admissions process for undergraduate and graduate students, tuition and financial aid, and campus life. They will also have the opportunity to visit several campuses, meet with faculty and administrators, and engage in a university fair to learn more about each institution.

“This is a great opportunity for the GPEP members and for the Pittsburgh region,” said Thomas Buell, Jr., Director of the Study Pittsburgh initiative and Director of Marketing for GlobalPittsburgh. “These advisers will be promoting educational opportunities in the United States to international students around the world, and any positive connections they make in Pittsburgh will have a long-lasting positive impact on the number of students who choose to come to study in this region.”

Current members of the GPEP include:
• Art Institute of Pittsburgh
• Carlow University
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Chatham University *
• Community College of Allegheny County *
• Duquesne University *
• LaRoche College
• Penn State – Beaver
• Penn State – Greater Allegheny *
• Penn State – New Kensington
• Point Park University *
• Robert Morris University *
• The University of Pittsburgh
• The University of Pittsburgh English Language Institute
• The University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business
• The University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing
• Washington & Jefferson College
• West Virginia University
• West Liberty University

(Asterisk indicates campus that will hosting training sessions and events)

In economic terms, international students make a significant positive impact in the region, contributing an estimated $2.6 million to the regional economy for every 100 international students enrolled at regional colleges and universities, according to the Institute for International Education. About 7,000 international students are currently enrolled in the seven-county metropolitan area.

GlobalPittsburgh, formerly the Pittsburgh Council for International Visitors, is a non-profit organization that engages international delegations, groups and individuals by creating itineraries and facilitating introductions through the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) and other international programming agencies in many fields, including energy and environment, life sciences and medicine, education, business and technology, clean/green design, advanced manufacturing, arts and culture, government and finance, social services and law, and other areas. 

For information about GlobalPittsburgh's Study Pittsburgh initiative, go to www.studypittsburgh.org READ FULL ARTICLE

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Get Into the Holiday Spirit at GlobalPittsburgh First Thursdays International Happy Hour Dec. 6 at AVA Lounge

Get into the holiday spirit on a global scale at the next GlobalPittsburgh First Thursdays international happy hour at AVA Lounge in East Liberty on Thursday, Dec. 6 from 5:30-8:00 p.m. (or later).

This month’s over-21 event will feature holiday dress and customs from around the world. There will be free appetizers catered by Conflict Kitchen, bar specials, raffles and more. Bring your friends! Meet our visiting global delegations and mingle with many of the region's international entrepreneurs and innovators.

GlobalPittsburgh First Thursdays is a regular monthly night of networking and socializing with different themes, different activities and different locations - but always with an international flavor - on the first Thursday of every month. It's an evening of friends, interesting conversation and good spirits with an international flair.

AVA Lounge is located at 126 S. Highland Avenue in East Liberty.

Admission is FREE for paid GlobalPittsburgh members. Admission is $5 at the door for everyone else. Membership information will be available at the event, but you may also join GlobalPittsburgh now at www.globalpittsburgh.org/membership and get in free on the night of the event.

Many thanks to support from Vibrant Pittsburgh, whose mini-grant program helps make these events possible.

If you have questions, please contact Nadya Kessler in the GlobalPittsburgh office at 412-392-4513 or by email at nkessler@globalpittsburgh.org. Photos from past First Thursdays and a few other GlobalPittsburgh events, activities, and programs can be viewed at www.flickr.com/photos/globalpittsburgh. See you there!

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Monday, November 26, 2012

Free Tickets for GlobalPittsburgh Members to Screening of New Film & Live Appearance by Boyd Tinsley of Dave Matthews Band Tuesday 11/27

Current GlobalPittsburgh members and active hosts can receive free tickets for a special movie screening of "Faces in the Mirror" and live appearance by writer and producer Boyd Tinsley of the Dave Matthews Band tomorrow night (Tuesday, 11/27) at AMC Loews Waterfront 22 in Homestead, just south of Pittsburgh.

"Faces in the Mirror" is Tinsley's experimental musical narrative of Ben Fischer, a young man returning home to bury his estranged father. On the day of his father’s funeral, Ben embarks on a dreamlike odyssey through his past and present, spending time with friends and strangers who all offer support: a comforting young woman, a concerned old friend, a wise street prophet. Woven into this tapestry are memories of his parents and his guardian, Roberta. Ben’s is a journey through those ineffable spaces between confusion, anger, acceptance, and forgiveness.

Free tickets are available for current GlobalPittsburgh members and active hosts on a first-come, first-served basis by sending email to Thomas Buell, Jr., Director of Marketing at GlobalPittsburgh at tbuell@globalpittsburgh.com.

Those receiving tickets will be notified by 3 p.m. on Tuesday. If you're not a GlobalPittsburgh and would like to become a member to receive the free tickets, membership information is available at http://www.globalpittsburgh.org/membership. Join today and your annual membership is good until the end of 2013. Membership fees are $40 for an individual and $50 for a household.

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Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Pittsburgh-Based Plextronics Partners With Netherlands Group to Develop Flexible LED Lighting Systems

Plextronics, a Pittsburgh-based global technology company specializing in printed electronics, and Netherlands-based Holst Centre, an open-innovation initiative by imec (B) and TNO (NL), recently announced their partnership on shared research towards flexible organic light emitting diode (OLED) lighting and signage.

Flexible OLED lighting demonstrator
With its leading expertise in several of the functional materials needed to develop OLEDs, Plextronics complements the Holst Centre’s existing partners. The Plextronics-Holst partnership’s goal is to improve the scaling of lab device performance to large area OLED lighting and signage devices. This is game-changing technology that opens the door to many possible lighting applications in living and working environments.

An OLED device consists of a light-emitting material in between conductive and protective layers. In order to maximize the electrical current running through these layers, hole injection and hole transport layers are needed between the anode and the light-emitting material. For low-cost processing on flexible substrates, the materials to deposit these layers need to be compatible with solution-based roll-to-roll processing.

Plextronics is a leader in the discovery, development and manufacturing of solution-based hole-injection layers and hole-transport layers. It will make its current Plexcore® hole injection and hole transport inks available within the Holst Centre research program and in return can benefit from the research results for further optimization.

Holst Centre will use the Plexcore® inks in its shared research program on Flexible OLED Lighting and Signage to create functional OLED demonstrators, facilitating their characterization and evaluation as it would be applied in a production environment.

Ton van Mol, Program Manager Flexible OLED Lighting and Signage at Holst Centre said, “Having Plextronics on board is a major asset to our research program. The company’s unique knowledge perfectly complements the existing expertise in the program. It adds strength to the shared effort aimed at making flexible, affordable, and durable OLED lighting commercial products for future lighting solutions.”

“Holst Centre is a leading research institute for printed electronics that is renowned for facilitating partner companies to use the open innovation model. Plextronics will apply the knowledge gained from this work to enhance our Plexcore® hole injection and hole transport products used in large area hybrid lighting panel manufacturing today and all solutions processed manufacturing applications under development ,” said Mathew Mathai, Director, OLED Lighting at Plextronics. “We are excited to participate in the OLED Lighting Technical Integration Program with other ecosystem partners to help solve the challenges of scaling OLED lighting.”

About Plextronics 
Plextronics, Inc. is a global technology company that specializes in conductive polymers and printable formulations that enable advanced electronic devices. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the company's develops customized inks to enhance the performance of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) for next generation displays and lighting applications, lithium ion batteries, polymer metal capacitors, and emerging organic electronic devices.

The privately held company was founded in 2002 as a spinout from Carnegie Mellon University based upon conductive polymer technology developed by Dr. Richard McCullough. Plextronics has developed this technology for market adoption and currently manufactures and delivers its conductive polymer products around the world. The company is ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 certified. For more information about Plextronics, visit www.plextronics.com.

About Holst Centre 
Holst Centre is an independent open-innovation R&D centre that develops generic technologies for wireless autonomous sensor technologies and for flexible electronics. A key feature of Holst Centre is its partnership model with industry and academia around shared roadmaps and programs. It is this kind of cross-fertilization that enables Holst Centre to tune its scientific strategy to industrial needs.  Holst Centre was set up in 2005 by imec (Flanders, Belgium) and TNO (The Netherlands) with support from the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Government of Flanders. It is named after Gilles Holst, a Dutch pioneer in Research and Development and first director of Philips Research. More information at www.holstcentre.com 

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Monday, November 19, 2012

GlobalPittsburgh Annual Dinner - Dec. 17 at LeMont - Your Passport to Pittsburgh; Making the Western Pennsylvania Connection - Register Today!

Join us on Monday, Dec. 17, 2012 for the GlobalPittsburgh Annual Dinner to learn why the eyes of the world are focused on the Pittsburgh region as a global center for energy innovation, education, technology, environmental research and business.


Now is your chance to learn more about the many benefits we provide to the regional community and economy, while having fun, networking with friends old and new, eating delicious food, enjoying a stunning view of the Pittsburgh skyline, getting your picture taken in a free photo booth, and winning valuable prizes at the same time. We're calling it Your Passport to Pittsburgh - Making the Western Pennsylvania Connection.

This year we'll be livening things up a little. You will have the opportunity to meet and learn from the valuable resources in the Pittsburgh region, just as our delegations of global leaders do when they come here as part of the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program.

Upon arrival, you will receive a GlobalPittsburgh Passport similar to the itinerary we prepare for our visiting delegations. You will stroll around the room and engage with some of the same leaders from the region who have met with international visitors in the past year.

You will eat some of the best food in town from gourmet serving stations, see old friends and meet new ones, converse with some of the top experts in fields including energy, engineering, sustainability and higher education, and enjoy a cultural performance. Bill Flanagan of the Allegheny Conference will be your local “tour guide” as emcee for the evening. At the end of the evening, your Passport will give you a chance to win several valuable prizes.

Just like our visiting delegations, you will have a chance to interact with some of the host families who regularly welcome visitors into their homes. When you depart for home, you will have learned something about Pittsburgh and made some important connections that will benefit you in the future. This promises to be an Annual Dinner to remember. We look forward to seeing you.

CLICK HERE to register today. Tickets for current GlobalPittsburgh are $80 each, which includes an entry to the grand prize drawing and one drink ticket. A delegation of eight people is $640; a delegation of 10 is $800. For non-members, tickets are $100 each. Non-members can pay $120 for a discounted family membership and admission for one. A delegation of eight is $800; a delegation of 10 is $1,000.

For information, contact Nadya Kessler at 412-392-4513 or nkessler@globalpittsburgh.org. If you would like to become a sponsor please CLICK HERE to learn more about sponsorship opportunities.
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Thursday, November 15, 2012

New Cooperation Agreement Between GlobalPittsburgh and Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education Expands Efforts To Attract International Students to Region

A newly-signed cooperation agreement between GlobalPittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education (PCHE) will further enhance efforts to promote the region around the world as an education hub and attract international students to its many colleges, universities and English Language Programs, according to leaders of the two non-profit organizations.

"This partnership will strengthen what GlobalPittsburgh has been doing for several years through our channels within the U.S. government to attract international students and make a valuable contribution to the Pittsburgh Region," said Michael Malloy, Acting Chairman of the GlobalPittsburgh Board of Directors. "Education is one of this region’s major exports and top economic drivers, and we can now expand our outreach by ensuring that we are cooperating to coordinate our efforts."

Kenneth Service, Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education, said the new agreement “builds on endeavors already under way at many of the PCHE schools, and we are proud to be a partner with GlobalPittsburgh in promoting Pittsburgh throughout the world. One of Pittsburgh’s foremost assets, which sets it apart from many American cities, is the breadth and diversity of its institutions of higher education.”

Through the new Memorandum of Cooperation, the two groups will further expand their existing commitments to:
• Actively market and promote the Pittsburgh region and its many educational assets around the world with the goal of attracting international students to study in the region
• Engage locally with companies and organizations to raise awareness of the value and importance of the Pittsburgh region’s educational assets as a valuable export resource with significant economic and cultural benefits
• Pursue possible academic partnerships between universities and/or departments and international institutions that might lead to student and faculty exchanges, training opportunities and research opportunities
• Co-host visiting international delegations, groups and individuals who may be interested in educational opportunities in the Pittsburgh region

GlobalPittsburgh already promotes the Pittsburgh region and its many educational assets around the world through its Study Pittsburgh initiative (www.studypittsburgh.org), which was formed in 2010. In addition, the organization has for the past 53 years hosted international delegations, groups and individuals through the U.S. Department of State and other programming organizations, and connected a network of people and organizations in the region sharing a common vision of advancing the Pittsburgh region as a truly global community.

The Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education (PCHE) is a consortium of the 10 accredited colleges and universities in Allegheny County. It was founded in 1966 to provide a means for sharing resources, insights and information among its member institutions; engage in cooperative activities and projects; and offer a common voice on matters that affect all of the member institutions.

Both organizations currently count among their supporters Carlow University, Carnegie Mellon University, Chatham University, Community College of Allegheny County, Duquesne University, La Roche College, Point Park University, Robert Morris University and the University of Pittsburgh.

GlobalPittsburgh’s Study Pittsburgh initiative also includes Penn State University, Washington & Jefferson College and West Virginia University. PCHE also includes the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. 

The new cooperation agreement builds on recent developments announced by each organization. GlobalPittsburgh already promotes the region through the U.S. Department of State’s network of more than 400 EducationUSA advising centers around the world, and was recently selected to host a training institute in December for 25 new EducationUSA advisers.

GlobalPittsburgh also signed a partnership agreement in May 2012 with the U.S. Commercial Service to promote the Pittsburgh region’s educational assets through the Commercial Service’s international network of trade offices.

The Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the 13-member Institutes of Technology Ireland (IOTI) to "strengthen, promote and develop co-operation in education, training, research, and innovation among the member institutions."

In economic terms, international students make a significant positive impact in the region, contributing an estimated $270 million in tuition and living expenses to the regional economy, according to new reports issued this week by the Institute for International Education. More than 9,800 international students are enrolled in the Greater Pittsburgh region, IIE reported.

"The benefits that accrue to the Pittsburgh region from its colleges and universities go far beyond the direct provision of educational services and training to thousands of area citizens," said PCHE’s Kenneth Service. "The 10 PCHE institutions play a key role in supporting Pittsburgh’s growing global reputation."

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Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Support GlobalPittsburgh With Your Online Holiday Purchases - Percentage of Spending will be Returned as Investment in GlobalPittsburgh – At No Cost to You!

With the holiday shopping season approaching, we have a tremendous opportunity to raise additional funds for GlobalPittsburgh — but it requires your help. It won’t cost you a penny.

We've partnered with We-Care.com to offer the We-Care Reminder. It allows us to receive a donation whenever you shop online at hundreds of participating merchants — at no extra cost to you.

The Reminder is a browser extension for Firefox, Safari, Chrome and Internet Explorer. It takes less than a minute to install on your computer (home and work). It's a breeze to download, and it's easy to use!

There are three things you can do to help:

It’s this easy:

  1. Go to http://globalpittsburgh.We-Care.com/Start and download the We-Care Reminder. (Then forget about it. It works automatically.)
  2. When you visit a participating merchant, you’ll see a message thanking you for supporting GlobalPittsburgh.
  3. Just shop as you normally do, and a donation will be made — without taking a penny from your wallet. 
  4. Ask your friends and family to do the same, even if it's only forwarding this email.
  5. If you blog, tweet, use Facebook, or are involved in any form of social media, use it to spread the word!
Together, we can turn money already being spent on gifts, travel and your own purchases into support for our programs at GlobalPittsburgh.

It only takes a few clicks, so please do it before you close this blog post. To get started, just visit http://globalpittsburgh.We-Care.com/Start.

P.S. If you’re reading this at work, please forward it to your personal email account to make sure you install the Reminder at home.


For access to more merchants; exclusive, money-saving offers; and the ability to track your donations, you can visit our Online Mall at http://globalpittsburgh.we-care.com.

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University of Pittsburgh Offering Free Weekend Course, “Muslims in Global Context: Afghanistan, Pakistan & India,” Nov. 16-18

The University of Pittsburgh’s Global Studies Center will host a free minicourse titled “Muslims in a Global Context: Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India” from Nov. 16-18 in Room 2400 of Pitt’s Sennott Square, 210 S. Bouquet St., Oakland.

Designed to provide an opportunity for the public and students to better understand culture and politics in Central Asia, a region that is critical to U.S. national security, the weekend minicourse will consist of a series of lectures on the factors and trends that continue to shape the countries of Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan.

The program will begin at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 16 with a lecture titled “Why Does It Matter: A View from the East and West” presented by Muqtedar Khan, professor of political science and international relations at the University of Delaware and founding director of that school’s Islamic Studies Program.

Other lectures will include “Governance and State in Afghanistan” presented at 2:30 p.m. Nov. 17 by Jennifer Murtazashvili, Pitt assistant professor of public and international affairs, and “Education and Youth in South Asia,” presented at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 17 by Mohammed Shafiq, associate professor of administrative and policy studies in Pitt’s School of Education.

A complete agenda and registration forms are available at www.ucis.pitt.edu/global/mini-course/536. The deadline to register is Nov. 14.

Pitt and Carnegie Mellon students may register to receive one credit for the course; teachers may receive ACT 48 credit; and the general public may attend any of the minicourse lectures for a noncredit learning experience.

The minicourse is co-sponsored by Pitt’s Global Studies Center within the University Center for International Studies as well as by Carnegie Mellon University’s Office of the Provost and Division of Student Affairs. READ FULL ARTICLE

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Search for Truth in Political Advertising Captures Interest of Foreign Delegation; Highlights Need for Fact Checking

By Steve Hallock
Truth was the primary subject of the day in the conference room of GlobalPittsburgh last Friday. The eight foreign journalists and politicians visiting the Pittsburgh as part of a tour to observe and learn about the 2012 presidential election wondered why we Americans and our media allow blatant lies to enter the discussion.

The group of journalists and
politicians from Indonesia,
Singapore, France and Sweden
during one of their meetings
in Pittsburgh last week.
Beyond the obvious First Amendment concerns, this is an important question, and an ironic one, considering the parties – besides the politicians – most involved in disseminating political information: the journalism and advertising industries. The first tenet of the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics admonishes, “Seek Truth and Report It; Journalists should be honest, fair and courageous in gathering and interpreting information.” This includes the sub-tenet: “Test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent error. Deliberate distortion is never permissible.”

And here is the first principle of the American Advertising Federation’s Institute for Advertising Ethics: “Advertising, public relations, marketing communications, news, and editorial all share a common objective of truth and high ethical standards in serving the public.”

Deliberate distortion? Inadvertent error? A common objective of truth? Are they kidding? Anybody who paid attention to the campaign, and the presidential debates in particular, must be snorting derisive laughter about now.

As I discussed with the foreign delegation, this is not a new phenomenon. Truth has been hostage in American political process since the days of Washington and Jefferson; but, as we all agreed, the big lie and the accompanying negativity have grown even bigger in this era of immense media dynamics that has come to include not only the newspapers of yore but also television, radio and the blogosphere. The lies are louder now and repeated more often to the extent that they play a greater role not only in setting the public agenda but in shaping it.

Little, other than self-policing, can be done about misinformation in the world of advertising, especially in the dominant media format of broadcast – given traditional Federal Communications Commission reluctance to police the industry and considering the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court Citizens United ruling that defined inanimate corporations as people with the right to spend unlimited amounts of money on even a distorted or false message.

Journalists, though, can put aside the false god of objectivity on behalf of the larger principle truth.

This is why I agreed with the visiting journalists and politicians in their approval of CNN correspondent Candy Crowley’s real-time fact-checking during the second presidential debate, when Republican candidate Mitt Romney wrongly claimed that President Barack Obama had taken 14 days to identify the attack on the Libyan consulate as the work of terrorists. Crowley interjected, to the audience’s applause, that the president actually had invoked “terrorism” terminology the day after the attack.

Crowley stepped beyond the role of moderator and donned her garb as journalist. Her unexpected baring of Romney’s deceit suggested a possible remedy to the problem of how the media can cut through the thick underbrush of distortion and obfuscation that dominate today’s political campaigns.

I told the small international entourage during our conversation that journalism instructors strive to push students toward understanding the difference between accurate reporting and truthful reporting. Accuracy is, of course, important. When journalists quote public officials, even when those officials are telling lies, they must quote them accurately. But it is not enough to be accurate. Nor is it enough to be balanced – to report, for example, that a mayor has accused a city councilman of accepting bribes and to get the other side by reporting the councilman’s denial. The journalist’s responsibility, in the role as government watchdog, is to report whether such pronouncements are true.

Crowley is on to something. As the nation ponders the meaning and lessons of its most recent national and local elections, those responsible for delivering the messages should also consider how they can do it better next time – in a way that serves not only the audience but also the democracy the Fourth Estate is supposed to monitor. In this era of live media everywhere all the time, on-the-spot media fact-delivery would be a welcome prescription.

Next-day analysis, after the majority of Americans have watched the debates and gone to bed, certainly is worthwhile. But it comes late, after the initial message has settled into the nation’s subconscious – after the damage of the deception has been largely done.

In future debates, moderators should build upon the Crowley initiative and become more than time-keepers. Let them instead enter the debate realm as well-informed keepers of the facts. Let them give fair warning to candidates that any lies detected during the course of the debate or during interviews for public consumption will be subject to verification – in the same piece reporting their utterances.

In his 1849 essay on civil disobedience, Henry David Thoreau wrote that if one honest man would stand up against slavery, that would be the beginning of the end of slavery. In this campaign season, one broadcast journalist stood up against a campaign lie. If others would follow this lead, we might see, if not an end to the lies, at least more reluctance to deceive.

Steve Hallock is director of the School of Communication at Point Park University in Pittsburgh.
READ FULL ARTICLE

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Get Into the Holiday Spirit at GlobalPittsburgh First Thursdays International Happy Hour Dec. 6 at AVA Lounge

Get into the holiday spirit on a global scale at the next GlobalPittsburgh First Thursdays international happy hour at AVA Lounge in East Liberty on Thursday, Dec. 6 from 5:30-8:00 p.m. (or later).

This month’s over-21 event will feature holiday dress and customs from around the world. There will be free appetizers catered by Conflict Kitchen, bar specials, raffles and more. Bring your friends! Meet our visiting global delegations and mingle with many of the region's international entrepreneurs and innovators.

GlobalPittsburgh First Thursdays is a regular monthly night of networking and socializing with different themes, different activities and different locations - but always with an international flavor - on the first Thursday of every month. It's an evening of friends, interesting conversation and good spirits with an international flair.

AVA Lounge is located at 126 S. Highland Avenue in East Liberty.

Admission is FREE for paid GlobalPittsburgh members. Admission is $5 at the door for everyone else. Membership information will be available at the event, but you may also join GlobalPittsburgh now at www.globalpittsburgh.org/membership and get in free on the night of the event.

Many thanks to support from Vibrant Pittsburgh, whose mini-grant program helps make these events possible.

If you have questions, please contact Nadya Kessler in the GlobalPittsburgh office at 412-392-4513 or by email at nkessler@globalpittsburgh.org. Photos from past First Thursdays and a few other GlobalPittsburgh events, activities, and programs can be viewed at www.flickr.com/photos/globalpittsburgh. See you there!

READ FULL ARTICLE

Monday, October 29, 2012

Machu Picchu Trip Being Raffled By Group with Ties to Pittsburgh Helping Weavers in Peru's Andes Mountains

Pittsburghers have a chance to win a trip for two to legendary Machu Picchu and other sites in Peru through a non-profit organization called Awamaki with its U.S. base in Pittsburgh that helps Peruvian women access international markets for their textile goods.

Awamaki is selling only 150 tickets for $100 each (tax-deductible). One grand prize winner will enjoy:
· Roundtrip airfare for two from a major US city to Cusco, Peru
· Ground transport from Cusco to Ollantaytambo
· Entrance fees and train tickets to Machu Picchu
· Seven nights hotel accommodation
· A trip to Patacancha, where most Awamaki textiles are made
· A lesson with a local artisan
· Welcome and departure meals
· Full package value of $5,000+
Second and third prizes are textiles of $100 and $50 value respectively.

Awamaki sells handwoven textiles made by cooperatives of indigenous Quechua women in remote communities in the Andes Mountains of Peru. Profits are reinvested in those communities in the form of healthcare and educational facilities, according to Anne Marie Toccket, who represents the organization in Pittsburgh. Awamaki goods can be found at La Feria and other locations in the Pittsburgh area, she said.

To purchase a ticket, send email to Toccket at aut112@gmail.com or via PayPal at https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=NWWCG4M5SGMUN.

Checks, money orders and credit cards are accepted. Buyers will receive their ticket(s) in the mail in 3-5 days, and the drawing will be held on Nov. 7. Tickets are available for purchase until Nov. 2.
READ FULL ARTICLE

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Meet and Mingle With Pittsburgh Delegates to the One Young World Summit at GlobalPittsburgh First Thursdays Networking Event Nov. 1 at Shadow Lounge

Please join us for festivities on Thursday, Nov. 1 as we carry on the momentum of the recent One Young World Pittsburgh Summit and continue to welcome international students and globally-minded members and friends at the next GlobalPittsburgh First Thursdays international networking event at Shadow Lounge in East Liberty from 5:30-8:00 p.m.

This month’s over-21 event will feature some of the local participants in Pittsburgh’s recent One Young World Summit, as well as eight international journalists and politicians who are in town learning about the upcoming Presidential election. GlobalPittsburgh’s Nadya Kessler, was a One Young World delegate (thanks to a Fellowship that she received from the World Affairs Council). The eight members of the Elections delegation joining us for the evening are from France, Indonesia, Singapore and Sweden.

There will be free appetizers, bar specials, raffles, cash bar and more. Bring your friends! Meet our visiting international delegations and mingle with many of the region's entrepreneurs and innovators.

GlobalPittsburgh First Thursdays is a regular monthly night of networking and socializing with different themes, different activities and different locations - but always with an international flavor - on the first Thursday of every month. It's an evening of friends, interesting conversation and good spirits with an international flair.

Shadow Lounge is located at 5972 Baum Boulevard in East Liberty.

Admission is FREE for paid GlobalPittsburgh members and One Young World Ambassadors and volunteers (or anyone with a One Young World t-shirt or badge). Admission is $5 at the door for everyone else. Membership information will be available at the event, but you may also join GlobalPittsburgh now at www.globalpittsburgh.org/membership and get in free on Nov. 1.

Many thanks to support from Vibrant Pittsburgh, whose mini-grant program helps make these events possible.

If you have questions, please contact Nadya Kessler in the GlobalPittsburgh office at 412-392-4513 or by email at nkessler@globalpittsburgh.org. Photos from past First Thursdays and a few other GlobalPittsburgh events, activities, and programs can be viewed at www.flickr.com/photos/globalpittsburgh. See you there!

READ FULL ARTICLE

Monday, October 22, 2012

Groups Encouraging Diversity Eligible for Grants Up To $7,500 from Vibrant Pittsburgh; Applications Due Dec. 14

Groups and organizations that encourage diversity in the Greater Pittsburgh region are eligible for grants of up to $7,500 from Vibrant Pittsburgh, a non-profit organization supporting efforts to increase the diversity of the region's workforce. The deadline for applications is Dec. 14, 2012.

Vibrant Pittsburgh is now accepting applications for its second round of Mini-Grant funding that seeks to support a wide range of activities for nonprofit Affinity Groups to "increase attraction, welcome and retention of diverse talent in the Pittsburgh Region."

Qualifying Affinity Groups can be employer, community or university student-based that bring together people with a common interest and/or background such as heritage, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.

Through the Mini-Grants Initiative, Vibrant Pittsburgh seeks to support projects that:
 Increase the visibility of Pittsburgh’s diverse communities
 Help attract, welcome and retain diverse talent
 Are implemented by Affinity Groups that represent diverse communities in the region.

For more information, go to www.vibrantpittsburgh.org. A printable Request for Proposals form, go to http://bit.ly/X2BH31. READ FULL ARTICLE

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Fund to Provide Financing to Growing Social Business Startups Launched at One Young World Pittsburgh Summit

Social business startups from around the world will have access to a new funding program launched at the One Young World Summit in Pittsburgh this week.

The One Young World Social Business Accelerator will  provide financing to growing social businesses, as well as access to the network of One Young World delegates, known as Ambassadors, to assist their development and expansion into new global markets.

Three social enterprises were selected as the first beneficiaries of the Accelerator, and each will receive a 20,000 Euro (about $26,000) low-interest loan. Villageboom, one of those selected, creates employment opportunities for rural villages in developing countries, and is introducing a microbusiness model based on a solar light to replace kerosene lamps, which local people are encouraged to adopt.

In addition, Accelerator grants, ranging from €500 ($650) to €2,000 ($2,600) were given to a number of One Young World returning Ambassadors. The first round of grants will fund efforts to help homeless people, an urban farming initiative, a youth sports skills program, water-conserving toilets and recycling initiatives.

“Many of the problems that you see are actually very simple – and if you can find one simple way how to make it happen, you can change the world,” said Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

“We have so much potential and creativity here today to find these solutions," Yunus said. "If we all worked together, the world’s problems would disappear.”

Other Day 1 highlights included:
• Pete Cashmore, founder and CEO of Mashable, and journalist and activist, Fatima Bhutto, discussed the role of education and the importance of working to increase literacy levels around the world. The delegates challenged each other to get out in their own communities and take action. One delegate, Sujit Ialwani, India, said, “It’s great to be alive as a human being, but it’s great to die as doing.”
• Jamie Oliver, chef and founder of the Food Revolution, led a panel discussion about the global obesity and malnutrition epidemic. Oliver reinforced the importance of working within school systems to increase education about healthy eating and cooking. He challenged the One Young World delegates to surprise him by coming up with plans to further their own local food revolutions.
• Jack Dorsey, creator of Twitter and Square, Bob Geldof, KBE and Ken Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, participated in the Transparency and Integrity Plenary Session. Dorsey stressed the urgent need for transparency in business and in politics, adding that Twitter and Square were both built entirely on the foundation of transparency.
• Paul Polman, Global CEO of Unilever, one of the world’s largest consumer goods companies, discussed the importance of corporate social responsibility. He said that, “big does not mean bad,” challenging delegates to help think of a better way for business to do business. “We want to drive positive social change,” he said. “And youth doesn’t always get the seat at the table that they deserve.”
• Singer and songwriter Joss Stone – who began her career at the age of 14 – also spoke to the delegates about motivation and inspiration, drawing from her own experience. “As today’s young people, we must make sure the fire is burning as brightly as we can,” she said. “If you aren’t heard the first time, speak a little louder – refuse to be ignored.”

At the 2012 Summit young leaders from 182 countries have been sharing their vision, views and ideas to create practical and achievable commitments for positive change. Unlike any other event, One Young World Summit gives delegates the kind of media platform afforded ordinarily only to those who lead countries and corporations.

Delegates speak alongside global figures who this year included former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Bob Geldof KBE, Professor Muhammad Yunus, Kofi Annan, Jamie Oliver, Pete Cashmore and Fatima Bhutto many others.

The seven areas of focus for the 2012 Summit are:
• Education
• Global Business
• Health
• Human Rights
• Leadership & Governance
• Sustainable Development
• Transparency & Integrity

Following the Summit, One Young World Ambassadors will deliver positive outcomes in these areas in their countries and communities and, using the lasting connections One Young World enables them to maintain, on a global scale.


For more information about One Young World go to www.oneyoungworld.com. READ FULL ARTICLE

Friday, October 19, 2012

Pittsburgh Mayor Ravenstahl Supports National Immigration Reform, Attraction of Foreign-Born Entrepreneurs to Spark Economic Growth and Job Creation

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today joined several area community organizations and business leaders in signing on with a national bipartisan movement supporting immigration reform and immigrant attraction as essential elements of economic growth and job creation.

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl
during the signing ceremony.
Behind him are (from left) Steven
Sokol, World Affairs Council of
Pittsburgh; Audrey Russo, 
Pittsburgh Technology Council:
Melanie Harrington, Vibrant
Pittsburgh; Robert Feldstein,
Partnership for a New
American Economy 
At a morning news conference, Ravenstahl became an official signatory of the Partnership for a New American Economy, a coalition led by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg of over 500 mayors, governors and corporate leaders from all 50 states who believe immigration reform is an economic imperative.

“Pittsburgh’s thriving economy brings students from around the world to study and live in our city,” Ravenstahl said. “By joining this partnership that calls for better opportunities and reform for immigrants, the possibilities of further growth are tremendous.”

Also signing on to the partnership were the leaders of the Pittsburgh Technology Council, the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, Vibrant Pittsburgh, Alcoa and BNY Mellon, Ravenstahl said.

Currently, Pittsburgh’s foreign-born residents account for about 7 percent of the city’s population, compared with a national rate of about 13 percent. Studies have shown that immigrants can play a key role in new business and job creation. Immigrants are now twice as likely as native-born residents to start new businesses, which have been the main driver of job creation over the past 25 years.

Presenters at the signing ceremony said that it’s not true that immigrants take jobs from native-born Americans. Another common misconception is that foreign-born professionals are paid less than their native-born counterparts. They said that immigrants provide widespread economic benefits that create jobs. Every foreign-born graduate with an advanced degree who stays in the United States creates 2.6 jobs for American workers, according to Partnership data. They also said that only a small percentage of immigrants in the U.S. are undocumented, or “illegal.”

Some other facts about immigrants and the economy:
  • Over 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children 
  • Three-quarters of all patents at the nation’s Top 10 research universities has a foreign-born inventor 
  • Cities with more immigrants saw their credit ratings improve, their tax bases grow and per capita income increase 
  • Last year, immigrants started 28 percent of all new businesses even though they only represent 13 percent of the population 
“The attraction, retention and elevation of a diverse array of talent – including foreign-born, New American talent – provides a significant source of economic growth, innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation,” said Melanie Harrington, CEO of Vibrant Pittsburgh. “As we promote Pittsburgh as an inclusive region to attract talent of all backgrounds, we work toward and remain committed to the long-term success of the Greater Pittsburgh region.”

Robert Feldstein of the Partnership for a New American Economy pointed out that immigrant attraction is becoming an economic development tool around the worlds. Many countries, including Canada and Chile, are aggressively recruiting foreign-born entrepreneurs to come start companies and create jobs, sometimes even offering startup cash and free office space as incentives.

“Mayors and CEOs see every day that immigrants fuel innovation, start new companies and drive economic growth and job creation,” Feldstein said. “We are excited that Mayor Ravenstahl and the leaders of Pittsburgh are joining over 500 mayors and CEOs from across the country to urge leaders in Washington to fix our broken immigration system.”

The Partnership has several goals for immigration reform, including:

  • Providing residency visas or “green cards” to foreign-born graduates from American universities in the fields of science, technology, math and science (STEM)
  • Creating a visa program for foreign-born entrepreneurs to build their companies in the United States
  • Increasing or eliminating arbitrary caps to let American companies hire the highly educated workers they need but cannot find locally
  • Giving industries that depend on workers just starting up the economic ladder, such as agriculture and tourism, access to foreign workers when they cannot find Americans to fill jobs
The announcement comes in the heels of a recent announcement by the Pittsburgh Promise, which offers $40,000 college scholarships to graduates from city high schools, that it will work with leaders from the region’s Latino community and philanthropic groups to attract hispanic families to the city. READ FULL ARTICLE

Thursday, October 18, 2012

GlobalPittsburgh's Role in Creating International Business Opportunities for Pittsburgh Region Highlighted in Article

GlobalPittsburgh's role in creating international business opportunities for local companies and organizations, including two energy consulting jobs for a local college professor, was highlighted in a recent article in the Pittsburgh Business Times.

The article titled "Firms Eyeing Overseas Shale Opportunities" by reporter Anya Litvak published Oct. 5, 2012 describes how expertise gained in the local Marcellus shale industry can lead to business and commercial opportunities in other parts of the world where shale gas is under development.

"Pittsburgh-based companies that have successfully wedged their offerings into the Marcellus supply chain are likely to find opportunities abroad in countries just beginning the shale game," Litvak writes.

She quotes Gail Shrott, director of GlobalPittsburgh's international leaders program, who explains how GlobalPittsburgh recently has hosted leaders from several countries interested in learning more about shale gas exploration, including Poland, Morocco, France, Canada and Australia.

"Once the delegations leave, they take with them business cards from local companies working in the Marcellus," the article reads. "Shrott’s hope is that connections persist and turn into business opportunities.

"They already have for some. Kent Moors, a professor at Duquesne University and a Scholar in Residence at its Institute for Energy and the Environment, got two consulting contracts with foreign governments following meeting with delegations here. As an adviser to Poland, which is thought to have the largest shale reserves in Europe, Moors sees tremendous opportunities for western Pennsylvania companies to export their services to countries eager to tap their domestic fuel and become less dependent on Russia’s exports."

The article describes how "[l]ocal companies with specialized shale expertise and high-end technical products stand the best chance of competing for shale business abroad," and quotes Steven Murray, a Pittsburgh-based senior international trade specialist with the U.S. Commercial Service.

The article also mentions potential global business opportunities for several other local companies, including MarkWest Energy Partners, Epiphany Solar Water Systems, and Consol Energy.

GlobalPittsburgh hosts several hundred visiting international leaders every year, and is paying closer attention to the continuing economic benefits created by those visits in the form of ongoing business and academic partnerships.

For more information on becoming a resource for visiting delegations, please contact Gail Shrott at 412-392-4513 or gshrott@globalpittsburgh.org.

Business Times subscribers can read the full article at http://bit.ly/RblrZN.

READ FULL ARTICLE

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

GlobalPittsburgh Selected By U.S. State Department to Coordinate Weeklong Training Program in December for International Education Advisers

GlobalPittsburgh has been selected by the U.S. Department of State to host and coordinate a weeklong training program in December for 25 representatives from its worldwide network of 450 EducationUSA advising centers, which promote educational opportunities in the United States.

The program, titled Essentials of Advising (Level 1), will be conducted Dec. 9-15 on the campuses of institutions participating in the Study Pittsburgh initiative of the GlobalPittsburgh Education Partnership (GPEP).

Advisers will be coming from such countries as Austria, Bangladesh, Brazil, China (2), India (2), Indonesia (2), Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Mauritius, Pakistan, Paraguay, Romania, Russia, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

Formed in 2010, the GlobalPittsburgh Education Partnership is a growing consortium of 16 colleges, universities and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs in the Greater Pittsburgh Region that have joined together to explore ways to increase international student enrollment in the region, to create partnerships and exchange programs with their counterparts abroad, and to engage students in the community once they arrive.

Trainees will learn about the American system of higher education, including the admissions process for undergraduate and graduate students, tuition and financial aid, and campus life. They will also have the opportunity to visit several campuses, meet with faculty and administrators, and engage in a university fair to learn more about each institution.

“This is a great opportunity for the GPEP members and for the Pittsburgh region,” said Thomas Buell, Jr., Director of the Study Pittsburgh initiative and Director of Marketing for GlobalPittsburgh. “These advisers will be promoting educational opportunities in the United States to international students around the world, and any positive connections they make in Pittsburgh will have a long-lasting positive impact on the number of students who choose to come to study in this region.”

Current members of the GPEP include:
• Carlow University
• Chatham University *
• Community College of Allegheny County *
• Duquesne University *
• LaRoche College
• Penn State – Beaver
• Penn State – Greater Allegheny *
• Penn State – New Kensington
• Point Park University *
• Robert Morris University *
• University of Pittsburgh English Language Institute
• University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business
• University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing
• Washington & Jefferson College
• West Virginia University
• West Liberty University

(Asterisk indicates campus that will hosting training sessions and events)

In economic terms, international students make a significant positive impact in the region, contributing an estimated $2.6 million to the regional economy for every 100 international students enrolled at regional colleges and universities, according to the Institute for International Education. About 7,000 international students are currently enrolled in the seven-county metropolitan area.

GlobalPittsburgh, formerly the Pittsburgh Council for International Visitors, is a non-profit organization that engages international delegations, groups and individuals by creating itineraries and facilitating introductions through the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) and other international programming agencies in many fields, including energy and environment, life sciences and medicine, education, business and technology, clean/green design, advanced manufacturing, arts and culture, government and finance, social services and law, and other areas. 

For information about GlobalPittsburgh's Study Pittsburgh initiative, go to www.studypittsburgh.org READ FULL ARTICLE

GlobalPittsburgh Offering Free Tickets to American Middle East Institute Health Innovation Summit and Tom Brokaw Lecture to New Members

GlobalPittsburgh is offering a chance to receive free tickets for the American Middle East Institute's Health Innovation Summit and Tom Brokaw Evening Lecture in Pittsburgh Oct. 30 to new members and current members who sign up a new member.

Anyone who becomes a paid GlobalPittsburgh between now and Tuesday Oct. 16, 2012, and any current member who brings in a new member, will be eligible to win a pair of tickets to the Tom Brokaw lecture (a $100 value) or one of two individual tickets to the Health Innovation Summit (each valued at $325). Names will be drawn on the evening of Oct. 16. For more information about the many benefits of GlobalPittsburgh membership, including group activities, free & discounted tickets, networking events and more, go to http://www.globalpittsburgh.org/membership.

Health Innovation Summit

The AMEI's Health Innovation Summit will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 30 at the Fairmont Hotel in Downtown Pittsburgh. This year’s program brings together global health leaders and leading edge innovators to describe the current state of healthcare in the Middle East and explore emerging business markets in this ever-changing economic sector. For more information about the Health Innovation Summit, go to http://www.americanmei.org/Health_Innovation_Summit.html.

Tom Brokaw Lecture

On the evening of Oct. 30, noted broadcast journalist and author Tom Brokaw will engage in a discussion titled "Building a Bridge to the Middle East" in conversation with His Royal Highness Prince Turki Al Faisal of Saudi Arabia, and Former Prime Minister of Libya, Dr. Mahmoud Jibril. For more information about the Tom Brokaw evening event, go to http://www.americanmei.org/Tom_Brokaw.html.

To enter this ticket drawing, new members should use the electronic registration form using secure credit card payment by going to https://www.globalpittsburgh.org/member-registration-form. Annual membership fees are $40/individual and $50/family. Once you have registered online, please contact Nadya Kessler in our office at 412-392-4513 or nkessler@globalpittsburgh.org to have your name placed into the drawing.

If you are a current GlobalPittsburgh member who brings in a new member, you and the new member will be entered in the drawing for the tickets. Just tell the new member you are signing up to contact Nadya Kessler using the information above, and make sure they tell her your name. Both of you will be eligible to receive the tickets. You may also choose to be in the drawing for one or both of the events.

This is a great time to become a GlobalPittsburgh member. Join today and tell your friends!




READ FULL ARTICLE

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Pittsburgh Welcomes International Robotics Industry Leaders Oct. 22-24 for RoboBusiness 2012 Conference

Pittsburgh played host to the RoboBusiness 2012 Leadership Summit, the international executive-level business development event for robotics technology innovators, influencers, developers and investors, Oct. 22-24, 2012 at Pittsburgh Marriott City Center.

Research institution host Carnegie Mellon University and other technology-related organizations in the Pittsburgh region arranged an array of local activities to complement the RoboBusiness Leadership Summit including the induction ceremony for the Robot Hall of Fame®, a public event at the Carnegie Science Center.

The CMU Robotics Institute also hosted conference attendees at a campus open house. The Robotics Institute is the world’s largest university-affiliated robotics research center, with internationally noted roboticists among its 420 faculty and staff members. The Institute is a leader in autonomous navigation, field robotics, computer vision, legged locomotion and other enabling and advanced technologies.

Attendees of RoboBusiness 2012 enjoyed live technical demonstrations of the latest technology advancements in robotics at CMU. In addition, Carnegie Mellon affiliated spinouts and staff spoke at RoboBusiness, including Takeo Kanade and Jim “Oz” Osborn, Directors and a co-founders of the Quality of Life Technology Center, a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center operated jointly by CMU and the University of Pittsburgh, and William “Red” Whittaker, Director of the Field Robotics Center.

Bossa Nova Robotics, a CMU spinoff co-founded by Robotics Institute alumnus Dr. Sarjoun Skaff, aims to put a robot in every home by building the leading personal robot for the 21st Century.

Other organizations from the greater Pittsburgh area welcoming RoboBusiness attendees included Innovation Works and the Pittsburgh Technology Council. Innovation Works is the largest investor in seed-stage companies in the Pittsburgh region and plays a vital role in southwestern Pennsylvania's technology economy The Pittsburgh Technology Council has helped the region’s technology companies succeed through a suite of proven products and services that help technology companies at all stages of growth from emerging startups to becoming established heavy hitters in their respective marketplaces.

CMU, Innovation Works and the Pittsburgh Technology Council said a goal of the conference was to connect participants with new business opportunities. 


Source: Robobusiness 2012 Leadership Summit READ FULL ARTICLE

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

American Middle East Institute Annual Conference in Pittsburgh to Feature Health Innovation Summit and Evening with Tom Brokaw Oct. 30



Health Innovation Summit
Tom Brokaw Lecture


Tuesday, October 30, 2012
1 Day - 2 Venues

Sponsor's Dinner & Tom Brokaw Evening Lecture
Carnegie Music Hall
Pittsburgh

Tickets on Sale NOW!!
American Middle East Institute invites you to attend the 2012 Health Innovation Summit. Since our founding, the aim of our efforts has been to grow and encourage strong friendships and enduring partnerships between the United States and the Middle East.  
This year’s program brings together global health leaders and leading edge innovators to describe the current state of
healthcare in the Middle East and explore emerging business markets in this ever-changing economic sector.  

Current GlobalPittsburgh members  receive $5 discounts on tickets to the Tom Brokaw Evening Lecture. CLICK HERE for details.

Confirmed Evening Speakers:















































The audience expected to attend:
Tom Brokaw, TV Journalist, Author, and former NBC anchor
His Royal Highness Prince Turki Al Faisal Bin Abdulaziz, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

His Excellency Dr. Mahmoud Gebril, former Prime Minister of Libya
His Excellency Dr. Salah Al Mazroua – Deputy Minister of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
(Names Below are Listed Alphabetically)

Dr. Riad Armanious, Deputy Chairman & Managing Director of Eva Pharmaceutical Co. & Armanious Group

Dr. Enis Baris, The World Bank

Dr. Hossam Abu El Enein, Chairman of Sedico Pharmaceutical Co.

His Excellency Dr. Fouad El Nawawy, Former Minister of Health, Egypt (2011-2012)

Lutfi Fadel El Zein, Chairman and Director of The Mediterranean and Gulf Insurance Company P.L.C.

Dr. Sherine Helmy, CEO, Pharco Pharmaceutical
Dr. Ali M. Ibrahim, Secretary General of the Arab-Pharmacists Union

Dr. Makram Mehany, Chairman of The Industrial Pharmaceuticals Chamber & Chairman & Managing Director Of Makram Mehany Group Of Companies   
Dr. Maged El Minshawy, Chairman of Mana Pharm & Deputy Chairman of Egyptian Industrial Pharmaceuticals Chamber

Dr. Abdulla Moulokia, Chairman of European Pharmaceutical &  Board member of Egyptian Industrial Pharmaceuticals Chamber

Chancellor Mark Nordenberg, University of Pittsburgh

Dr. Osama El Saadi, Chairman of Benta Pharm & Board member of Egyptian Industrial Pharmaceuticals Chamber

Dr. Kamal Sabra, Former Assistant to Egyptian Minister of Health; Consultant

His Excellency Dr. Ismail Sallam, Former Minister of Health, Egypt (1996-2002) and Chair of AMEI Advisory Council

Conference Sponsors
For more information on the Health Innovation Summit, visit the morning business conference page.
For more information on the Sponsor's Dinner & Evening Lecture, visit the Tom Brokaw page.

For more information on sponsorship and event details, please email: mhastings@americanmei.org
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